Korea's trade volume has been dwindling for the last six months due to the choppy economic conditions around the world. The country saw both exports and imports fall last month, compared to a year earlier, on weakened overseas demand and anemic domestic consumption.

The Korea Customs Service said Monday that exports in August decreased 6 percent on-year to US$43 billion, while imports slowed by a larger degree of 10 percent to $41 billion.

This put the trade surplus at just below $2 billion. With the exception of light manufacturing goods, all other exports declined.